Management
Hovione is an independent family owned international group of companies.
The Company was founded in 1959 by Ivan and Diane Villax, and remains an independent family concern. The Board is made up of Villax family members and a majority of independent non-executive Directors, it is led by an independent non-executive Chairman.
The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the management of the business and is assisted by the Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee manages Hovione’s activities and each member is responsible for a specific area of the business.
Board of Directors
Diane Villax
Founder-ChairmanDiane Villax founded Hovione with her husband Ivan in 1959, and was the executive responsible for Finance for the first 30 years of the company. Diane has a keen interest and a personal involvement in the building and communicating of the company’s values and culture.
Diane is a Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
Diane is a Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
Elie Vannier
Chairman of the BoardMaster of Law and DEA in Political Science from Université Paris-Sorbonne
Elie Vannier has a Master of Law and DEA in Political Science from Université Paris-Sorbonne.
Elie Vannier serves/has served on several boards in several countries including France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Belgium, UK and the US. Elie Vannier has had a diversified career of over 40 years in the Media, Industry, Investment banking, and Retail. He is visiting professor at Peking University in China and has taught at Sciences Po in Paris and the Ecole Supérieure de Guerre et d’Etat-Major in France.
Elie is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hovione.
Elie Vannier serves/has served on several boards in several countries including France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Belgium, UK and the US. Elie Vannier has had a diversified career of over 40 years in the Media, Industry, Investment banking, and Retail. He is visiting professor at Peking University in China and has taught at Sciences Po in Paris and the Ecole Supérieure de Guerre et d’Etat-Major in France.
Elie is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hovione.
Guy Villax
Non-Executive Board MemberDegree in Accounting and Financial Management
Guy Villax has a degree in Management from the University College at Buckingham, UK.
Guy Villax was Hovione's Chief Executive from 1997 to 2022, having previously worked at Price Waterhouse in London and Hovione in Asia.
Guy holds leadership positions at industry associations and in Portuguese state organizations: Rx-360, Health Cluster Portugal, Portugal’s Business Roundtable; and the ANI (Portugal’s National Innovation Agency) and the CNCTI (National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation).
Guy Villax was Hovione's Chief Executive from 1997 to 2022, having previously worked at Price Waterhouse in London and Hovione in Asia.
Guy holds leadership positions at industry associations and in Portuguese state organizations: Rx-360, Health Cluster Portugal, Portugal’s Business Roundtable; and the ANI (Portugal’s National Innovation Agency) and the CNCTI (National Council for Science, Technology and Innovation).
Charles L. Cooney
Non-Executive Board MemberB.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and S.M. and Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from MIT
Prof. Charles L. Cooney has a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an S.M. and Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from MIT.
Charles Cooney started as a Professor at MIT in 1982 and was the Founding Faculty Director of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation. His research and teaching interests span a range of topics in Biochemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, and Technological Innovation.
Charles Cooney sits on the Boards of multiple Biotech and Pharma companies and is Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
Charles Cooney started as a Professor at MIT in 1982 and was the Founding Faculty Director of the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation. His research and teaching interests span a range of topics in Biochemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, and Technological Innovation.
Charles Cooney sits on the Boards of multiple Biotech and Pharma companies and is Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
Sofia Villax
Non-Executive Board MemberDegree in Pharmacology
Sofia Villax has a BSc in Pharmacology from Bristol University.
Sofia worked at Hovione in various positions: in Macau in Quality Assurance, and then in Portugal in Product Development, Marketing, Communications and Innovation. She is a member of the General Council of the Universidade de Aveiro.
Sofia and a Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
Sofia worked at Hovione in various positions: in Macau in Quality Assurance, and then in Portugal in Product Development, Marketing, Communications and Innovation. She is a member of the General Council of the Universidade de Aveiro.
Sofia and a Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
Michel Pettigrew
Non-Executive Board MemberB.COM from McGill University, Montreal and M.B.A. from York University, Toronto
Michel Pettigrew has a B.COM from McGill University, Montreal, and M.B.A. from York University, Toronto.
Past President of the Ferring Group of Companies, Michel Pettigrew has more than 43 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. Before Ferring, Michel Pettigrew held several executive-level positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb. During this time, he spent eight years in Asia in different positions including GM of Indonesia and GM of Malaysia and Singapore.
Michel is Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
Past President of the Ferring Group of Companies, Michel Pettigrew has more than 43 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. Before Ferring, Michel Pettigrew held several executive-level positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb. During this time, he spent eight years in Asia in different positions including GM of Indonesia and GM of Malaysia and Singapore.
Michel is Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
David LaPré
Non-Executive Board MemberBSc Engineering and Life Sciences from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. M.B.A. from New York University
David LaPré has a BSc in Engineering and Life Sciences from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. M.B.A. from New York University.
Over 20 years, David LaPré held senior executive roles at Roche/ Genentech, in the United States and Switzerland.
David is a Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
Over 20 years, David LaPré held senior executive roles at Roche/ Genentech, in the United States and Switzerland.
David is a Non-Executive Board Member of Hovione.
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Committees of the |
Elie Vannier |
Diane Villax |
Guy Villax |
Michel Pettigrew |
David LaPré |
Charles Cooney |
Sofia Villax |
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AFRC – Audit and Financial and Risk Committee |
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TOSC – Technical Operations & Sustainability Committee |
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RDIC – R&D and Innovation Committee |
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o = Committee Chair |
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Global Leadership Team
Jean-Luc Herbeaux
CEODegree in Mechanical Engineering, Master of Science and PhD in Mechanical Engineering
Jean-Luc Herbeaux studied in France (Diplôme d´Ingénieur from UTC) and in the USA (M.S.and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston).
Jean-Luc Herbeaux started his professional career as Assistant then Associate Professor at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Japan.
From 2000 to 2020, Jean-Luc Herbeaux held multiple high-level leadership positions at Evonik, one of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies, and before joining Hovione, was at the helm of Health Care Business Line of Evonik.
Jean-Luc Herbeaux joined Hovione as Chief Operations Officer in 2020.
Jean-Luc Herbeaux started his professional career as Assistant then Associate Professor at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Japan.
From 2000 to 2020, Jean-Luc Herbeaux held multiple high-level leadership positions at Evonik, one of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies, and before joining Hovione, was at the helm of Health Care Business Line of Evonik.
Jean-Luc Herbeaux joined Hovione as Chief Operations Officer in 2020.
António Almeida
CFOAntónio has a degree in Business Management.
António started his career with Siemens in 1994 and held several positions of growing responsibility until 2007. The roles covered controlling, project finance, venture capital and commercial management, spread between Portugal and Germany.
He then joined Hovione in 2007 as Group Controller and was appointed as CFO in 2014.
António started his career with Siemens in 1994 and held several positions of growing responsibility until 2007. The roles covered controlling, project finance, venture capital and commercial management, spread between Portugal and Germany.
He then joined Hovione in 2007 as Group Controller and was appointed as CFO in 2014.
Cláudia Ferreira
VP Environment, Health, Safety, Quality & RegulatoryCláudia has a degree in Chemistry from the University of Lisbon, and M.B.A. from AESE/IESE Business School.
Cláudia started her career in the Microbiology laboratory, in1995, following several positions with responsibilities in Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Program Management and R&D General Management, including two international postings in Macau, China, and New Jersey, US. Since 2019, Cláudia assumed the VP Quality function and in 2022 her role expanded to Environment, Health, Safety, Quality & Regulatory.
Cláudia started her career in the Microbiology laboratory, in1995, following several positions with responsibilities in Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Program Management and R&D General Management, including two international postings in Macau, China, and New Jersey, US. Since 2019, Cláudia assumed the VP Quality function and in 2022 her role expanded to Environment, Health, Safety, Quality & Regulatory.
David Basile
VP Technical Operations – AmericasDegree in Mechanical Engineering, Master of Science Degree in Systems Engineering
David holds a Master of Science Degree in Systems Engineering from NJ Institute of Technology, a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and is a trained Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
David has 25 years of experience as a global pharma manufacturing executive with special focus on operational excellence and engineering. During this time, he held several positions including Global Director of Engineering, Automation & Reliability at Catalent Pharma Solutions where he oversaw strategic capital expansions for several business units in the Americas. Prior to this David spent fifteen years with Teva / Actavis in a variety of technical leadership roles over the northeast US region.
David Basile joined as VP Technical Operations - Americas in 2021.
David has 25 years of experience as a global pharma manufacturing executive with special focus on operational excellence and engineering. During this time, he held several positions including Global Director of Engineering, Automation & Reliability at Catalent Pharma Solutions where he oversaw strategic capital expansions for several business units in the Americas. Prior to this David spent fifteen years with Teva / Actavis in a variety of technical leadership roles over the northeast US region.
David Basile joined as VP Technical Operations - Americas in 2021.
François Ricard
VP Research & DevelopmentFrançois has a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, London and an MBA from the Open University.
François has 23 years of experience in R&D and worked in the UK and Switzerland. He started his career at GSK in 1999, holding several management positions, including Head of Particle Sciences, Devices and Engineering in the R&D Product Development team. In 2015, he joined Debiopharm as Head CMC Development and Supply, before taking the role of Global Head Pharmaceutical Development R&D.
François Ricard joined Hovione as VP of Research & Development in 2022.
François has 23 years of experience in R&D and worked in the UK and Switzerland. He started his career at GSK in 1999, holding several management positions, including Head of Particle Sciences, Devices and Engineering in the R&D Product Development team. In 2015, he joined Debiopharm as Head CMC Development and Supply, before taking the role of Global Head Pharmaceutical Development R&D.
François Ricard joined Hovione as VP of Research & Development in 2022.
Ilda Ventura
VP Human ResourcesDegree in Human Resources Management and Occupational Psychology
Ilda has a degree in Human Resources Management and Occupational Psychology.
Ilda has 25 years of experience in HR management, having worked in Portugal, Spain and Germany. Her experience spans HR Business Development, Performance and Talent Management, Compensation and Benefits and has been developed in the IT and Services industries, in a global multicultural environment.
Ilda Ventura joined Hovione as VP of Human Resources in 2020.
Ilda has 25 years of experience in HR management, having worked in Portugal, Spain and Germany. Her experience spans HR Business Development, Performance and Talent Management, Compensation and Benefits and has been developed in the IT and Services industries, in a global multicultural environment.
Ilda Ventura joined Hovione as VP of Human Resources in 2020.
Marco Gil
Senior VP - Sales & MarketingMarco Gil has a degree in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Technical University of Lisbon.
In 2007 he joined Hovione as an Associate Engineer in the R&D Particle Design area. In May 2011 he was appointed as a Director of R&D Process Chemistry. He has held several management responsibilities, including Site General Manager of the Hovione site in New Jersey, US. From 2017 to 2022, Marco held leadership positions in Sales.
Since May 2022 he is the Senior Vice-President of Sales & Marketing at Hovione.
In 2007 he joined Hovione as an Associate Engineer in the R&D Particle Design area. In May 2011 he was appointed as a Director of R&D Process Chemistry. He has held several management responsibilities, including Site General Manager of the Hovione site in New Jersey, US. From 2017 to 2022, Marco held leadership positions in Sales.
Since May 2022 he is the Senior Vice-President of Sales & Marketing at Hovione.
Tiago Ferreira de Matos
General CounselDegree in Law. LLM in International Law and Business Administration
Degree in Law. LLM in International Law and Business Administration